This invention relates to an anchoring device adapted to enable securing and transporting of articles on a vehicle surface such as the bed of a pick-up truck, by means of tie downs with hooks at their ends. It further relates to a method of producing such devices.
Well before the introduction of the very popular small pick-up truck in the United States, owners and truck manufacturers alike recognized the need to protect the truck bed from scratching and dents caused by bouncing and sliding of loads which could abrade the bed surfaces and sides. This damaged not only the truck bed, but also the objects being transported. Paint scratches would render the bed surface susceptible to corrosion and rusting, particularly if the truck was left out in wet weather. This disadvantage was successfully combated with the mass introduction of the plastic bed liner, a vacuum-molded unibody construction that effectively covered the truck bed and the vertical walls surrounding the bed. The hinged tail gate was covered by a flat panel of the same material, making the two separate pieces fully enclose all but the top of the vehicle load-carrying area.
Although the liners were flexible and somewhat yielding when unsupported, they were required to have sufficient strength and rigidity when in place on the truck bed. This was easily accomplished by making at least the floor or bottom wall of corrugated ribs of approximately one-half inch in width and height, usually extending lengthwise of the bed. The ribs could readily withstand the weight of a cargo load and also that of a few men standing in the truck. The ribs were spaced parallel to one another on about one-and-one quarter inch centers across the width and for most of the length of the liner. Generally, they were longitudinal relative to the truck, but some rib designs are diagonal. To prevent sand, dirt and water from passing through the liner floor or walls to the bed of the truck, there were no openings through the liner, the floor being essentially liquid impervious. Sand and dirt were of concern because of their abrasiveness, since sand risked wearing the bed paint if sand grains would be pressed against the paint whenever a person stood or walked on the corrugated floor during loading and unloading. While many popular trucks have liners made to specifically and relatively tightly fit their bed shapes, some are still prone to rain leakage around the edges whether or not they have overhanging edges intended to protect against that risk. Obviously, if the walls or floor bottom of a liner permitted passage of dirt and liquid through the liner, the protection sought in purchasing the liner in the first instance is nullified.
Particularly to enable ease of sliding heavy objects around on the floor of the liner, the top edges or peaks of the ribs were coplanar. The common plastic material used was one that inherently had reduced friction characteristics, ideal for sliding large sheets of plywood, wallboard, etc. around. For this purpose, the rib tops of the liner had to provide an essentially flat surface, i.e., there were to be no projections above the rib tops. Projections or protrusions would inhibit article sliding when needed during loading and unloading. They would tend also to damage things such as wallboard and were a potential tripping point for a person working in the truck bed. They also made use of a flat shovel difficult when unloading sand, dirt or gravel.
While the reduced friction is advantageous for loading and unloading, it is disadvantageous for those times when reduced friction is anathema to the objective sought, such, for example, as avoiding shifting, sliding and rolling of an unstable article while the vehicle is moving. There is a need for a truck bed liner that retains the reduced friction capability for those times when it is needed, but prevents sliding of objects or loads resting on the bottom wall of the liner whenever the intention is to hold them against shifting. Load shifting can be dangerous to truck occupants as well as to others on the road. It risks causing of an accident, as well as causing damage to the vehicle. If something like a toolbox or length of pipe is merely laid freely on an existing standard liner floor, a sharp turn or swerve of the vehicle can cause the box to slide or the pipe to roll across the liner. A resultant noise can distract the driver, causing him or her to look over the shoulder through the rear view window, just long enough to risk having an accident.
Numerous attempts have been made in the prior art to solve the problem of load shifting by securing the load, but all have been somewhat complex, resulting in a liner floor which is difficult if not impossible to clean or sacrifices desirable attributes of existing liners. One patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,918 issued Oct. 19, 1993 to Stephen R. Wood et al, shows a variety of ways for tying down articles to a bed liner. One embodiment incorporates the provision of holes in protrusions rising above the ribs of a bed liner. The protrusions effectively prevent the tops of the ribs from being used as a flat surface on which articles can be slid during loading and unloading of cargo. Those same protrusions make walking on the liner difficult without the potential for tripping. The protrusions also span three ribs crosswise, making water drainage and cleanability an additional problem due to the damming effect across the valleys between the ribs. The manner in which the protrusions are made also requires a special top surface for the vacuum form and necessitates placement of a number of vertically-standing washers on the form for each liner produced. These washers become integral parts of the liner when removed from the form. It is uncertain whether the above ""918 patent teaching is capable of providing a leak proof liner surface.
There also exists the need to stabilize certain types of articles during vehicular transportation in a car trunk or on the bed of a station wagon, van or sports utility vehicle (SUV). One solution to this problem is illustrated in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,916 issued May 23, 2000 and entitled Portable Base for Anchoring and Transporting Unstable Articles. While quite suitable for handling dry or clean articles, the base of my ""916 patent is not leak-proof and is therefore incapable of preventing liquid, dirt or sand particles from wetting or dirtying the underlying carpet or floor.
In recent years, an alternative to truck bed liners has been introduced, namely, a spray-on protective coating that permanently adheres to the inside surfaces of the bed. To date, there appears to be no known solution to preventing sliding, rolling or other shifting of cargo in such coated beds. It further appears that coated beds do not have the same reduced friction surfaces as do plastic molded bed liners, making loading and unloading of heavy or large objects a bit more difficult.
The bed liner of a pick-up truck has elongated corrugated ribs with selected ribs or portions of ribs having holes or openings extending horizontally therethrough for enabling elastic tie downs to anchor objects that are being transported, the anchoring being done in any location on the truck bed. The design is such that the holes do not pass through the liner, i.e., the inner (upper) surface of the liner does not communicate with the outer (lower) surface thereof. The strength, minimal friction, cleanability and water impermeability characteristics of the liner are retained, while adding the desirable feature of being able to selectively anchor objects of any shape and size in any location on the bed. The liner preferably may have the holes produced in the liner at the time of manufacture, or the holes may be made by the purchaser in selected locations before or after installation in the truck. The holes may, in some designs, be located in separate elements that are installed on the liner. The liner may be separate from or integral with the body structure of a truck bed. The invention is also applicable to a panel used on the floor of a car trunk or van to carry wet or dirty items such as boots, etc., adding the anchoring feature to its usefulness.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a truck bed liner which retains the desirable characteristics of a reduced-friction flat top surface and impermeability to sand, dirt and water, while adding the further features of enabling variably positioning and secure anchoring of objects to be transported.
Another object is to provide for anchoring holes to be provided in the bed liner either at the time of manufacture or afterward, integral with or separate from the liner.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of anchoring holes below the top surface of a liner, i.e., avoiding the protrusion of anchoring means extending above the top surface.
Yet another object is to provide a leak-proof truck bed article-anchoring device that may be separate from or integral with the body structure of the truck.
A further object is to provide a liner or other panel which has the characteristics of liquid impermeability, cleanability and strength, but which can have anchoring holes or openings added thereto at any time while retaining those characteristics.
Another object is to avoid having anchoring holes above a top surface of coplanar ribs and to further avoid damming of liquid or dirt from draining or being removed from between the ribs.
Still another object is to provide a novel method of producing solid material portions in a vacuum-formed corrugated panel for enabling creation of holes through the solid portions.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.